The Next War
by Lilylivesinharry
Summary: Being the children of war hero's leads to several different paths. Some follow in their footsteps, making a difference, fighting for good. Some will try and run from their prescribed fate; but all will try and forge their own way. The only question is, what happens when said war hero's find out?


Rose took a deep breath before entering the house. Her senses were overloaded with nostalgia. It had been several months since she had been in her childhood home, and after today she might never be welcome back. Sighing, she decided to take in all the memories while she still could.

"Ron?" Her mother turned the corner and gasped when she saw her daughter, "Rose! I thought you wouldn't be back for another 2 months!" Hermionie ran to her daughter. Rose was almost knocked off balance by her mother's strong embrace.

"I know mum, I got a few days off," Rose hugged her back, letting go much quicker than Hermionie would have liked.

"Well, I am very happy! How's the tournament? Who's winning? I haven't read anything about it because I know you can tell me all about it," Hermione led Rose to the kitchen that was attached to the living room.

"Mum, I actually was wondering if I could talk to Uncle Harry," Rose was starting to relax as she remembered the mission that brought her here. Of course, she hadn't been at the quidditch tournament in the first place. She hadn't talked to either of her parents, or the rest of her family, in 5 months because she was pregnant and had given birth nearly two months ago. Not that they needed to know all of that right now. She was positive that, while her parents always wanted grandchildren, the father of said children would prove a challenge to explain.

"Of course," Hermione looked a little put off by her daughter's abrupt question. Rose was always a to-the-point child, much like herself, but since they hadn't seen each other in months she thought Rose would be a bit more talkative. "I think he is still at work, what is this about?" Hermione was very curious, while Rose was close to Harry (he was her godfather after all) it was very unusual for Rose to need to see him immediately, she could have just gotten an owl.

"I figured he was at work, just didn't know where," Rose lied. After all these years, it still stung a little to know how good she was at it. Her cousin taught her a long time ago how to lie to their parents, given his fell for it easier, but it did work well on hers too. She lied because she knew exactly where her uncle was. He was, of course, the one place she could not get to without her parents help, classified auror HQ. Only a few people were allowed there, and Rose was defiantly not on that list.

"Well, I think he is at HQ today, why do you need to see him?" Hermione questioned.

"I heard some rumors about dark wizards at the tournament. I heard that his unit was working in the area previously, so I wanted to make sure they were just rumors," Rose said, glad to see that Hermione seemed to be buying this logic. "Also, I promised my boss I would check, he is really worried." Rose added the last part for good bargaining. She knew that her mother would have thought that she should have sent an owl, but Rose knew that the real reason she was seeing her uncle would have to be said in person. Mainly she wanted to see his reaction.

"Oh, well then it would be good to catch him at work," Hermione breathed in relief. Rose seemed to be doing the responsible thing and that was all that mattered to Hermione.

"Harry Potter's office," Hermione called into the fire as she bent down to make the call. Just as the front door opened. Rose rolled her eyes, of course her dad would choose today to come home early. Of anyone in her family, this was the confrontation that she had planned to do when she had about 5 well, maybe this will get it out of the way.

"Rosie!" Ron screamed and ran over to his daughter.

"Hi dad!" Rose enthusiastically hugged her father who, much like his wife, pretty much refused to let her go.

"Harry is in his office till 5 today," Hermione walked in and kissed Ron as he let Rose go.

"Umm, according to Gin he's there till 4," Ron kept his arm over Rose's shoulder and kissed her forehead. "Which means he will probably be out by 3:30 if he wants to stay married, why are we talking about it?" Ron walked over to the kitchen table and sat down next to Rose.

"Rose wanted to talk to him about something at the tournament," Hermione poured Ron a cup of tea and sat across from Rose.

"Oh, did something happen?" Ron suddenly became extremely worried as he looked at his daughter.

"No, just some rumors, but I think that my boss is getting unnecessarily worried," Rose grabbed a roll from the basket at the middle of the table and started eating. The father of her child was convinced she would be nervous to face her parents, so he insisted she only eat the basics. This mainly just left her angry and hungry though, so not very much of a job accomplished. "He started really freaking out the other day and I thought that if I could get Harry Potter's word that there was nothing wrong he might chill out." Rose leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms. She ate the roll very quickly and had to restrain herself from gobbling all the rolls on the table within 5 minutes. That would definitely show her parents that something was up.

"Yeah, Harry can have that effect on people," Ron said as he put down his tea cup. Rose could tell that her parents weren't telling her something, they were terrible liars.

"What?" Rose sighed, her parents looked at each other in uncomfortable silence.

"Rose what are you…"

"Mum you two suck at lying for the record, what do you want to tell me?" Rose glared at her parents, who were now staring at her, not completely shocked.

"Alright," Ron sighed and sat up. Rose would hate what he had to say next, but he had promised Oliver, "Do you remember Leo Wood?"

"Please tell me this is not what I think it is," Rose groaned and automatically felt her left ring finger, as she always did when her parents tried to set her up with someone. Her husband, father of her child, had never met her parents, well, at least not as their son-in-law. She was not ready for that conversation, so she just said that she was single for the moment, even though she had been in a steady relationship for almost 10 years. She froze as she realized she had forgotten to take her ring off. Clearly her parents hadn't seen it, and taking it off now would be more of a scene. By changing her arms so that she had her right arm over her left hand as she crossed them, she stopped to think how great it would be if this was how they found out. No need for an awkward start of conversation, just straight to the point.

"Look, just listen, he is playing in the England game next week and he needs a date to the after party. Just show up, doesn't have to be like a steady thing, he just needs someone to go with," Hermione tried to calm her daughter down. While she did not agree with arranged marriage, or forced relationships, Rose was not meeting, or showing interest in anyone. She was really starting to get worried.

"Okay, for the last time, I don't need your help!" Rose yelled and jumped up from her chair. She put her hands firmly in her pockets, as tempting as it was to show the ring, now was not the time for that bomb shell.

"Sweetheart, we are just worried about you," Ron stood up and followed as Rose stomped towards the fireplace.

"Look, I appreciate your concern, but trust me I'm fine." Rose grabbed a handful of floo powder and moved into the fire place.

"Rose, please, just as friends…" Hermione turned the corner to see her daughter disappear in the flames heading for the auror HQ.

"I guess we are following her," Ron sighed, he really hated how his relationship with Rose had become almost non-existent since her teenage years.

"I guess so," Hermione sighed as they stepped into the fire place together, "Harry's office!"


End file.
